(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a goods handling method and an apparatus thereof which can efficiently, promptly and successively effect an inlet and an outlet of goods with respect to storage facilities.
(2) Background of the Invention
Examples of prior art devices relating to methods and apparatuses for carrying in and carrying out goods to storage facilities are provided in Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59(1984)-12005 U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,081), Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59(1984)-118603, Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59(1984)-182104, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 47(1972)-33170, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56(1981)-4650, Japanese Utility Model Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 50(1975)-113178, and Japanese Utility Model Application Early Laid-Open Publication No. 59(1984)-37206.
The above-mentioned official publications will be described. The Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59-12005 teaches that casings accummulated on an accummulation conveyor are transferred as a lot unit onto a feed conveyor.
Similarly, the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59-118603 teaches that multifrontage and multistage lattice-type shelves are combined with a lifting apparatus and a carrier conveyor.
The Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59-182104 teaches that a picking warehouse equipment comprises a vertical circulation conveyor.
Similarly, the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 47-33170 teaches an apparatus for distributing goods in the vertical direction by using a conveyor which can be freely varied its vertical direction inclination angles. That is, this Official Publication discloses a carrier device, wherein an inclination conveyor (tilt conveyor) is disposed onto one inclination carrier passage connecting the height of the lowermost stage goods inlet place and the uppermost goods inlet place in such a manner as to continuously extend. The respective conveyors are provided as such that they are vertically oscillated about the inlet side end portions, thereby to selectively connect the outlet side end portions of the respective conveyors which are disposed onto the aforementioned passage to the goods inlet place.
The Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-4650 teaches that a travelling and lifting stacker crane and an expandable frame, which expands and oscillates according to the travelling and lifting of the stacker crane, are combined. That is, the Official Publication discloses a carrier device comprising a sprocket pivotally attached to an out-release place in the vicinity of one end from which where a travelling and lifting stacker crane starts travelling and a terminal end where the stacker crane stops travelling, a driven sprocket pivotally attached to a step of a load table, and an endless belt bridged over to the sprocket.
The Japanese Early Laid-open Utility Model Application Publication No. 50-113178 teaches an inching capable elevator inching in the vertical direction disposed at angles.
The Japanese Early Laid-open Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-37206 discloses that a tilt conveyor is oscillated integrally with a lifting of goods delivery device. That is, the Official Publication discloses a carrier device comprising a transfer device having a liftable delivery device, and a tilt conveyor disposed opposite to the transfer device, an oscillation idling end of the tilt conveyor being connected to the delivery device side.
However, the conventional goods handling processes and apparatuses as mentioned have the following problems.
That is, although the device taught by the Official Publication of the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open No. 59-12005 can promptly and efficiently feed casings, an extremely large crane main body is required.
Similarly, since the device taught by the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59-118603 comprises a feed conveyor including an oscillation frame and a horizontal stationary frame which are integrally formed by means of one belt looped therearound, particularly when it is brought to be opposite to tall storage facilities, the gradient or inclination of the oscillation frame must be decided within a gradient level in which goods do not fall according to the height of the uppermost stage shelf. Accordingly, the oscillation frame must be prepared to be extremely long in length. As a result, an installation space of the storage facilities is required to be so large as the width of bay of the storage facilities plus the length of the oscillation frame. Thus, an extremely large amount of dead space is produced.
Likewise, although the device taught by the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59-182104 can reduce the size of the crane main body and the dead space can be minimized, each of the goods is required to be timely transferred onto a goods receiving portion of the vertical circulation conveyor. Thus, a complicated control system is required. Nevertheless, the carrier capacity is limited.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 47-33170 does not describe anything about the concept that goods are automatically carried in or carried out from storage facilities. Since the apparatus described in the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 47-33170 or the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-4650 has a tilt conveyor, a goods outlet end of which is not positioned lower than a goods inlet end of the tilt conveyor, the goods cannot be transferred lower than the goods inlet end of the tilt conveyor. When it is applied to, for example, a carrier device for carrying in or carrying out the goods with respect to the storage facilities, a dead space is produced at a lower portion of the storage facilities.
Likewise, in the art taught by the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-4650, particularly when it is brought to be opposite to tall storage facilities, the gradient or inclination of an expandable frame must be decided within a gradient level in which goods do not fall according to the height of the uppermost stage shelf. Accordingly, the expandable frame is required to be made extremely long. As a result, the out-release place must be located at an extremely far place from the end portion of the storage facilities. Thus, an extremely large dead space is produced.
In the device the device taught by Japanese Utility Model Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 50-113178, goods cannot be handled in a consecutive manner.
In the art taught by the Japanese Utility Model Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59-37206, since the transfer device is not provided with a travelling function, the structure of the storage facilities is limited. In addition, although a slide type conveyor is connected through a pin joint provided at an oscillation idling end of the tilt conveyor and leveling between the tilt conveyor and the slide type conveyor is not necessary, since the structures of the tilt conveyor and the movable conveyor (slide type conveyor) are limited and the respective conveyors cannot be used as independent conveyors, there involve such inconveniences that the tilt conveyor and the slide type conveyor cannot be independently actuated and controlled.
Further, in a carrier device comprising a tilt conveyor and a movable conveyor provided to at least one end side of the tilt conveyor, in order to carry goods lower than the goods inlet end of the tilt conveyor, it is conceivable that the good outlet end of the tilt conveyor is made movable lower than the goods inlet end of the tilt conveyor. However, in this case, in a connecting area of the goods outlet end portion of the tilt conveyor set in a falling gradient state and the movable conveyor, an extension plane of the conveyor plane of the tilt conveyor directs a downward level than the conveyor plane of the movable conveyor, due to, for example, that the extension plane of the conveyor plane of the tilt conveyor collides against a pulley corresponding portion of the movable conveyor, there involves such inconveniences that the tilt conveyor cannot surely and smoothly transfer the carrying goods to the movable conveyor side.
Similarly, in the goods handling apparatus described in the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59-12005, the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59-182104 and the Japanese Utility Model L Application EarIy laid-open Publication No. 50-113178, since no tilt conveyor is provided, when goods are transferred between the storage section of each stage of the storage facilities and the outlet or the inlet conveyor with respect to the storage facilities, the goods must be vertically moved by some means and then the empty means must be vertically moved prior to the following transfer step. Accordingly, the goods cannot be efficiently, promptly and successively carried in or carried out with respect to the storage facilities.
On the other hand, in the goods handling apparatuses disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59-118603, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 47-33170, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-4650 and Japanese Utility Model Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59-37206, since a tilt conveyor is provided, the above-mentioned problems are not encountered. However, in the goods handling apparatuses disclosed in these Official Publications, the goods storage capable heights of storage portions at each stage of the storage facilities are the same. Moreover, there is no description nor suggestion in these Official Publications about whether goods having different sizes or bulks are stored with respect to the storage portions at each stage. Accordingly, when goods having a comparatively high center of gravity (tall goods) are conveyed by the tilt conveyor in its extremely inclined state, there involves such problems that the goods easily fall during conveyance.
Further, one example of the prior art related to a goods centering apparatus is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 61(1986)-4722. Furthermore, one example of the related art to such an apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 57(1982)145717.
The prior art disclosed in the above-mentioned Official Publications will be described. In the Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-4722, there is described an apparatus, wherein a goods guide (side guide plate) is reciprocally movably provided with respect to a trunk, and while the truck loaded with goods held in the state that the goods guide projects toward the truck side runs toward a goods guide position, or the truck loaded with goods held in the state that the goods guide withdrawn runs toward the goods guide position, the goods guide is caused to be projected to perform the centering of the goods.
Further, in the Japanese Patent application Early Laid-open Publication No. 57-145717, there is disclosed an alignment apparatus, wherein at least a part of the rollers of a roller conveyor comprising a plurality of rollers are provided at angles with respect to the perpendicular direction to a goods guide and the sides of the goods are corrected to the goods guide position.
However, the above-mentioned prior art related to the centering of the goods involves the following problems.
That is, the apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-4722 cannot control the reciprocally moving quantity of the goods guide. Accordingly, although this apparatus is suitably applicable to goods having a certain size (width), it cannot perform the centering of various kinds of goods having different sizes per every size. In addition, since the conveyance of the goods is effected not only by truck but also by roller arranged on the truck in such a manner as to laterally transfer the goods in the direction perpendicular to the running direction of the truck, the structure thereof is complicated.
Further, the apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 57-145717 is intended to align the goods by a stationary guide with reference to the side of the goods. Accordingly, this apparatus can perform the centering of goods having a certain size or fixed size but it cannot perform the centering of various kinds of goods having different sizes according to the respective sizes.
Furthermore, in a goods handling method, wherein goods fed to a plurality of goods feed conveyors according to, for example, the kinds of goods, are merged onto a goods carrier conveyor, and by causing a goods intake apparatus (warehousing apparatus) to travel in the generally parallel direction with respect to the goods carrier conveyor toward a desired intake position (warehousing position), for example, the respective storage section (storing space) in storage facilities, the goods which are being conveyed by the the goods carrier conveyor are intaken into the intake position according to, for example, the kinds of the goods, the goods merging order among the above-mentioned goods feed conveyors is usually decided by the following three methods:
(1) First-come-first-serve basis, i.e., the order of goods which arrives first at the head (the downstream end) of the goods feed conveyor;
(2) Feed finishing order, i.e., the order that a goods feeding onto the goods feed conveyor is finished first; and
(3) Fixed order, i.e., a predetermined order.
However, the above-mentioned conventional methods of goods ordering among the goods feed conveyors have the following inconveniences.
That is, regarding the first-come-first-serve basis and the feed finishing order, there is, in general, no rules between the goods merging order and the goods intaken order to the intake position. Accordingly, the intake apparatus is often reciprocally travelled between different intake-positions. Due to the foregoing, much time is wasted for travelling the intake apparatus. Thus, intake performance is reduced.
Further, regarding the fixed order, if the goods are not fed to the goods feed conveyor in the predetermined order due to trouble of upstream facilities, for example, a depalletizer, of the goods feed conveyor, intake losses are produced timewise.
Furthermore, gravity flow racks used for warehouse, etc. are usually are designed such that loaded goods are transferred toward the outlet side by utilizing the gravity thereof. In order to prevent the conveyance speed from becoming unnecessarily large due to acceleration caused by gravity of the goods, it is known that a brake apparatus is provided as described in the Japanese. Utility Model Publication No. 61(1986)-1130 and Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 60(1985)-248503. That is, the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-1130 teaches a brake apparatus, wherein a friction force is produced between goods and a roller by the roller inclined the axis thereof with respect to the conveyance direction, thereby to control the speed of goods. Similarly, the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 60-248503 teaches a brake apparatus, wherein a brake shoe block is lifted on a roller and the goods are caused to climb thereon to control the speed of the goods.
Furthermore, since the conveyance speed of goods does not become too high in a gravity flow rack having a comparatively short depth (the conveyance direction of goods), it is known that a goods holding piece is fixed to an end portion of an outlet port side as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 57(1982)-19205. That is, the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 57-19205 teaches a wall (goods holding piece) generally vertically disposed to a lower portion of an outlet port side of a gravity flow rack which conveys and stores the goods in a lateral posture.
Furthermore, in a gravity flow rack, there is known a conveyor as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 60(1985)-188207, wherein a few goods are left on the downstream side of an inclined conveyor so as not to permit the goods to collide at a goods holding piece at the downstream side, thereby to prevent the falling and dropping of the goods.
However, although the apparatuses disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-1130 and the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 60-248503 are applicable to a gravity flow rack having storing spaces of multirows and multistages, it is not effective unless a brake apparatus is provided to each and all of the storing spaces, which invites a large cost increase. In addition, since the actuating state of the brake apparatus must be always controlled to maintain it in a constant conveyance state, a large expense is required for maintenance thereof.
Furthermore, the apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 57-19205 has such problems that if the center of gravity of goods is high, or the depth of a gravity flow rack is long (if the depth is long, storage capable quantity can be enlarged which unnecessitates a frequent feeding of the goods), the goods carried in from the outlet port side often fall down or are dropped when the goods are carried therein. This is especially true when no goods are stored yet .
Furthermore, in the method disclosed by the Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 60-188207, since the goods are fed in the state that at least one goods is already stored on the gravity flow rack, the goods which were carried in do not fall and are not dropped. However, under the situation that no goods are stored on the gravity flow rack, there involves the same problems as the afore-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 57-19205.
Examples of known picking apparatuses are disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 47(1972)-28868, Japanese Patent Publication No. 49(1974)-41304, Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 50(1975)-117178, Japanese Utility Model Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 52(1977)-83187, Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 57(1982)-92421 (U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 495,127 filed on May 16, 1983), Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication No. 59(1984)-207304, etc.